A 6th-degree Hapkido black belt was comprehensively outgrappled by a much younger Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt during what was described as a “fun match” at a local tournament.
The match, which has since circulated widely among martial arts enthusiasts, showed the younger practitioner consistently gaining dominant positions against his more experienced opponent. Despite wearing his traditional Hapkido uniform complete with black belt, the senior martial artist appeared unfamiliar with fundamental grappling defense techniques.
Following the defeat, the Hapkido master took to social media with an explanation that has raised eyebrows throughout the community. “I used my jiujitsu to give this lil kid a FUN match,” he wrote, insisting that the encounter was never meant to be competitive. “I retired in 2015 as a world champion in karate and ex-world champion in Jiu Jitsu.”
The martial artist further explained that he had been running the event since 2014, and that this particular competition had the smallest turnout to date. According to his account, he offered the match because there were no other competitors in the young man’s division.
“I told him talk to the promoter and get his money back or I’d give him a fun match,” the Hapkido practitioner stated. “He said he would take the fun match.”
Several observers have questioned these claims, particularly the assertion of being a former Jiu-Jitsu world champion, as no record of such achievements has been readily verified. The practitioner also mentioned bench pressing 315 pounds and training “on the mats 5 days a week” in his defense.
“I just hate to see the young generation treating the old school guys this way,” he concluded in his statement.
The footage shows the BJJ blue belt consistently achieving dominant positions including side control and back control, demonstrating a clear technical advantage throughout the encounter.
This highlights the ongoing discussion in martial arts circles about the effectiveness of different disciplines when put to practical test, and the challenges traditional martial artists sometimes face when confronting modern combat sports methodologies.
For many in the BJJ community, the viral video represents another example of why live sparring against resisting opponents remains essential for developing practical self-defense skills.
